Biographies » Etta Jones (~all·about·jazz)

Etta Jones, 1928-2001
Singer

Etta Jones was a fine jazz singer who made the most of her vocal talents. She retained a loyal following wherever she sang, and was held in the highest regard by her fellow musicians. Her last three decades were her most productive, in both the quantity and artistic quality of her work.

She was born in South Carolina, but brought up in Harlem. She entered one of the famous talent contests at the Apollo Theatre as a 15 year old, and although she did not win, she was asked to audition for a job with the big band led by Buddy Johnson, as a temporary replacement for the bandleader's sister.

Albums: "Etta Jones - Don't Go to Strangers (2006)"

Etta Jones - Don't Go to Strangers (2006)

Album review by Steve Leggett ~allmusic.com
Don't Go to Strangers was Etta Jones' first album for the independent jazz label Prestige when it was released in 1960 (having been recorded in a single session on June 21 of that year), and although Jones had been releasing records since 1944, including a dozen sides for RCA in 1946 and an album for King Records in 1957, she was treated as an overnight sensation when the title tune from the album went gold, hitting the Top 40 on the pop charts and reaching number five on the R&B charts.

Articles: A short documentary about Etta Jones (~npr)

Below there's a short documentary about the great singer Etta Jones, which NPR published one day after she died.

Article Page: ~www.npr.org